Manifold tie rod clamp



Sept. 26, 1939. J. H. HOWARD MANIFOLD TIE ROD CLAMP Filed June 1, 1937 2Sheets-Sheet l Sept, 26, 1939. J. H. HOWARD 0 mun-"ow TIE ROD CLAMP 7Filed June 1, 1.937 2 SheetsSheet 2 Patented Sept. 26, 1939 UNITEDSTATES MANIFOLD TIE ROD CLAMP James H. Howard, Houston, Tex., assignorto J, H. McEvoy & Company, Houston, Tex., a.

corporation of, Texas Application June 1, 1937, Serial No. 145,687

4 Claims.

This invention relates in general to high pressure manifolds, andparticularly to that type of manifold customarily used in connectionwith oil wells or other high pressure flowing wells.

5 In the past, it has been customary to provide at desired points onmanifolds of the type referred to cross arms known as tie rod clamps,and to connect these tie rod clamps together by means of tie rodsconnected to the outer ends of the clamps and extending from one clampto another. This, it will be noted, provides a reinforcement againsthigh pressure within the manifold, assisting in holding the parts of themanifold together, reducing the vibration caused by the action of thefluid under pressure in the well, and to some extent protecting themanifold from damage by falling objects during removal of the derrickand drilling equipment. These tie rods have in the past been connectedto the clamps by means of nuts threaded onto the ends of the tie rods,but in instances where the manifolds vary in length, depending upon theconditions encountered, it has been necessary to provide tie rods withexcessively long threaded 5 zones. This makes them of course moreexpensive, and the cutting of the threads of the tie rods renders themmore susceptible to corrosion and the deteriorating influences of theweather.

Furthermore, at times the lower of the tie rod clamps may be located ininaccessible positions, such as in many instances beneath the waterlevel, and in such cases it is extremely difiicult to place the nutsupon the lower ends of the tie rods below such clamps.

In many instances, particularly in the case of manifolds of the typeknown as Christmas trees which are used upon oil wells, the manifoldsare first assembled and are later placed upon the wells. It is importantthat the operation of placing the Christmas tree upon the Well andsecuring it in place be carried on as rapidly as possible so as toreduce the danger of a blow-out. In the past no suitable means has beenprovided for handling the assembled Christmas tree in such a manner thatit will be permitted to swivel or rotate about its suspension and thusmake possible the ready attachment of the Christmas tree to the well.

It is an object of this invention to provide a tie rod clamp and tie rodwith means for retaining the tie rod in any position desired withrespect to the tie rod clamp, which means will be selfadjusting so thatthe tie rod and clamp may be properly positioned with respect to eachother 66 without loss of time.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tie rod and tie rodclamp combination which will make it possible to readily and easily cutthe tie rods to length in the field.

It is a further object of this invention to pro- 5 vide a tie rod andtie rod clamp combination which will permit the proper clamping ofChristmas trees having various lengths without necessity for elongatedthreaded sections upon the tie rods.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tie rod clamp havingprovision for receiving two oppositely extending pairs of tie rods andto provide the means for receiving one of said pairs of tie rods withautomatic gripping elements for 15 gripping the tie rods and retainingthem in whatever position may be desired.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a tie rod clamp fora high pressure manifold of the type set forth and to shape said clampand 20 mount it upon the manifold in such a manner that it may beutilized for providing a swivel suspension for the manifold during thehandling and connection thereof.

It is a further object of this invention to pro- 25 vide a tie rod clampwith means whereby a tie rod may be connected thereto when the tie rodclamp is itself relatively inaccessible.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe following descrip- 30 tion taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the same being by way of illustration and example, and not byway of limitation.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a high pressure 35 manifold illustratingtie rods and clamps constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the intermediate tie rod clamp illustratedin Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to the upper portion of 4 Fig. 1 butillustrating a slightly modified form .of tie rod clamp and tie rod forcooperation therewith.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the tie rod clamp illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a vew similar to Fig. l but showing a slightly modified formof manifold and tie rod clamp.

Fig. 6 is a view illustrating the tie rod clamp of Fig. 5 while the sameis being employed as a 50 swivel support for the manifold in thehandling of the same.

Referring now to Fig. 1 the numeral I indicates the customary casingemployed in oil .or other fluid well. At the upper end is secured acasing head 2 having lateral outlets 3 and 4 to which are connected fiowlines 5 and 6. Interposed in the flow lines 5 and 6 are valves Tand 8.

Mounted on top of the casing head 2 is a hanger device 9 for hanging thetubing ID, the upper end of which projects therefrom and is providedwith a gate valve It. Connected to the upper end of the gate valve H isa cross fitting |2 having lateral outlets connected to fiow lines I3 andM, respectively. Gate valves l5 and I6 are provided in these flow lineswhich may have any customary connections thereto, such as for instancethe gate valve I1 and the fittings [8.

Above the cross fitting l2 and connected with the upper outlet thereofis a gate valve |9, the upper end of which is normally closed by meansof a bull plug tapped to receive a connection with a pressure gauge 2|.The hull plug 20 differs from the ordinary bull plug in that there isprovided adjacent its upper end .a laterally extending flange 22.Surrounding the bull plug 20 below the flange 22 so as to be rotatablewith respect to the bull plug and the remainder of the manifold, butrelatively fixed against longitudinal movement thereon, is a tie rodclamp 23 having laterally extending .arms 24 and 25. The arms 24 and 25it is to be noted are cut away on their lower edges so as to provide anintermediate portion of their lower edges which extends first upwardlyand outwardly, then downwardly and outwardly, for a purpose to bepresently set forth. These rods 26 and 21 are adapted to be receivedinto perforations formed in the arms 24 and 25 and secured in properposition within said arm by means of nuts 28 and 29 threaded into theends of the tie rods.

Ihe lower ends of the tie rods 26 and. 21 are shown as disposed withinthe openings in the arms 30 and 3| of an intermediate tie rod clampmember 32 which is built in the form of a cross. These lower ends of thetie rods 26 and 21 are secured in the arms 30 and 3| by means of nuts 33in much the same manner that the upper ends of said tie rods are securedwithin the arms 24 and 25.

The intermediate cross tie rod clamp 32 is also provided with two otherlaterally extending arms 34 and 35 disposed substantially at rightangles to the arms 30 and 3|, and having in their outer ends downwardlytapering openings adapted to receive the slips 36 and 31. Received inthese openings between the slips 36 and 31 are the upper ends of asecond pair of tie rods 38 and 39. The lower ends of these tie rodsextend through openings in the arms 49 and 4| of a lower tie rod clampand are secured therein by means of nuts 42. This lower tie rod clamp 43is threaded onto the lower end of the casing head 2 by means of looselyfitting threads 44. By virtue of threaded connection 44, tie rod clamp43 may be freely swivelled with respect to the casing head 2 so as toproperly position it with respect to the flow lines 3 and 4, but may atthe same time serve as a holddown for the casing head through the mediumof the third pair of tie rods 45 and 46. These tie rods are securedwithin a second pair of openings in the arms 40 and 4| by means of nuts41 and 48.

In the form illustrated in Fig. 3 the only difference is that instead ofthe tie rods 26' and 21' being connected to the arms 24' and 25' of thetie rod clamp 23' by means of nuts as in Fig. 1, they are connected bymeans of slips 49 and 50 similar to the previously mentioned slips 36and 31. In this instance the upper ends of the tie rods 26' and 21' arenot threaded, but are simply inserted into the slips to the desiredextent and then the slips will prevent downward movement of the tie rodswith respect to the tie rod clamp.

With reference now to Fig. 5, it will be noted that the upper tie rodclamp 23 while of slightly different configuration from that illustratedin Fig. 1, is in effect substantially the same, and adapted to receivethe tie rods 26" and 21" in the same manner that the clamp 23 of Fig. 1receives the tie rods 26 and 21. The manifold or Christmas treeillustrated is however of somewhat different form from that shown inFig. 1, the tubing hanger 9 being slightly different in form from thecorresponding element in Fig. 1, and the casinghead 2' being likewiseslightly different. The outlets 3' and 4' carrying the flow lines 5 and6' are substantially the same, the hook-ups merely being a littledifferent, such hook-ups, however, depending upon differences in design.In this instance the flow line 6 instead of being used as a flow line isconnected to a pressure gauge 8', whereas the flow line 5 is providedwith a gate valve 1', and is adapted to be used as a fiow line.

It is noted that in this hook-up the intermediate tie rod clamp isomitted, and the lower tie rod clamp 43 is slightly different from thetie rod clamp 43 of Fig. 1. This tie rod clamp is not threaded to thelower end of the casing head, but is merely mounted to surround thesection I of the casing below the casing head. The lateral arms of thisclamp 43' are provided with upwardly tapering openings 5| and 52 adaptedto receive the slips 53 and 54. Below the openings 5| and 52 supports 55and 55 are provided, adapted to receive the lower ends of the springs 51.and 58. which springs at all times urge the slips 53 and 54 upwardlyinto clamping position within the openings 5| and 52. The lower ends ofthe tie rods 26" and 21" are not threaded but are adapted merely to bepushed into position between the slips 53 and 54, and to be retainedtherein when again pulled upwardly.

The tie rod clamp 43 is provided with holddown rods 45 and 46, the sameas illustrated in Fig. l, downward movement of the tie rod clamp 43'with respect to the casing being prevented in any desirable manner.

When it is desired to position a Christmas tree or manifold havingthereon tie rod clamps constructed in accordance with this invention,the bails 59 of an elevator are simply hooked under the laterallyextending arms 24 and 25 of the upper tie rod clamp, and the manifold orChristmas tree is then lifted by means of a hook 6|) connected to theelevator bails 59 and to suitable hoisting apparatus. It is to be notedthat the configuration of the lower edge of the upper tie rod clamp aspreviously described enables the elevator bails 59 to be retainedthereon, and the fact that this upper clamp is positioned about the bullplug 20 and beneath the laterally extending flange 22 thereon renders itimpossible for the elevator bails to pull this clamp off of themanifold, but at the same time permits the manifold to be rotated withrespect to the clamp so that it may be properly and easily fitted in theposition on the upper end of the casing After the manifold has beenproperly placed in position and secured, the tie rods are then put inplace. In the form illustrated in Fig. 1, the tie rods 38 and 39 aremerely inserted upwardly between the slips 36 and 31 until the lowerends thereof occupy the proper position with respect to the clamp 43.The nuts 42 are then tightened so as to place the proper tension uponthese tie rods.

In Fig. 3, the tie rods 26' and 21' are merely inserted upwardly betweenthe slips 49 and in the same manner as just described in connection withthe tie rods 38 and 39. Nuts on the lower ends of the tie rods 26' and21 are then tightened to place the proper tension on these tie rods.

In some instances the lower tie rod clamp is found to be positionedunder water or for some other reason relatively inaccessible at the timethat the manifold should be placed on and connected to the casing. Underthese circumstances it is preferably that the lower tie rod clamp beconstructed as illustrated in Fig. 5 so that the tie rods 26" and 27"may simply be inserted from above and then tightened by means of thenuts 28 and 29 on their upper ends. This of course makes it unnecessaryto obtain such access to the lower clamp as would be necessary if thetie rods had to be secured thereto by means of nuts in the customarymanner.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that a means has been provided forcarrying out all the objects and advantages of this invention in anextremely simple and thoroughly practical manner.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An intermediate tie rod clamp for a high pressure manifold assemblycomprising a part adapted to engage such assembly, and two pairs ofopposed arms extending laterally therefrom, one pair of said armsadapted to receive tie rods extending in one direction therefrom, andthe other to receive tie rods extending in the opposite directiontherefrom, and slips on one of said pairs of arms for gripping the tierods extending therefrom.

2. A tie rod clamp for a high pressure manifold assembly comprising apart adapted to engage a portion of the assembly, arms extendinglaterally therefrom and having openings at their outer ends adapted toreceive tie rods, slips in said openings adapted to grip the tie rodswhen same are inserted therein to retain them against movement in onedirection, and resilient means for urging said slips toward grippingposition at all times.

3. A lower tie rod clamp for a high pressure manifold assemblycomprising a part adapted to be secured adjacent a casing head, and armsextending laterally therefrom, said arms being adapted to receive thelower ends of downwardly extending tie rods, and having slips thereonfor preventing upward movement of such tie rods, and yieldable means forurging said slips at all times toward gripping position.

4. A lower tie rod clamp for a high pressure manifold assemblycomprising a part adapted to threadedly engage a casing head, and armsextending laterally therefrom and adapted to receive tie rods, slips onsaid arms adapted to receive and retain against upward movement a pairof downwardly extending tie rods, and means on said arms adapted toreceive downwardly extending tie rods for anchoring such casing head.

JAMES H. HOWARD.

